“It’s Not A Video Game”

September 27th, 2016
Dirk Koetter speaks

Dirk Koetter speaks

Dirk Koetter says he’s an expert at playing the game of Monday Morning Quarterback.

And he knows media and fans are, too.

That was a bit of a theme at his Monday news conferernce.

Koetter talked about how hard he is on himself, that nobody could be a greater second-guesser of him than him.

Did Koetter make the wrong calls and decisions. Absolutely, at times, he said of his performance against the Rams.

But then Koetter was hit with the subject of the Bucs running 10 plays in their final drive, in which they a touchdown for the win on Sunday, with not one ball going to Mike Evans.

Don’t go there, Koetter explained.

“Again, we seem like we talk about this target thing every week,” Koetter told media.

“Sometimes Mike was involved there, but he didn’t get the ball thrown his way, for one reason or another. On one of those last plays where we had guys going to the end zone, Mike [drew single coverage], other guys were doubled and Mike was singled. In a perfect world, that’s where the ball should’ve gone.

“But I’m coaching, you guys are watching, Jameis is playing. We threw the ball 58 times, which is too many. Jameis was under pressure, even though our line – for the most part, considering the pass rushers they have – did a good job in protection. And there’s pressure built in, so it’s not a video game, it’s real. I don’t think Mike not getting any balls thrown directly to him – he might’ve been the primary guy with the call and not got the ball thrown to him. You guys would never know that, you just know where you see the ball thrown and I don’t mean that condescending at all, that’s just the truth.”

Fantastic answer by the head coach, and it needs no further commentary, but Joe will state the obvious. America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, certainly didn’t have his best two-minute drive.

37 Responses to ““It’s Not A Video Game””

  1. Tom Edrington Says:

    It is still so very early in the season, I see a lot of panic on the site. This is a better team than last year’s mess and the schedule is not easy as some have claimed nor did I understand the 10-12 win predictions before the season started……most had the “if everyone is healthy” disclaimer…..they are losing players already and the main problem this week is they are up against a very physical defense that is going to beat people up…..hopefully no one else goes down on Sunday…

  2. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    It doesn’t matter who was targeted…..it matters that the pass is on target and the crucial ones weren’t.

  3. iamkingsu Says:

    If this is true and mike was single covered at all whether he was primary receiver or not then I put that on #3. Because that’s my biggest beef with Koetter not targeting ME when we get close. But you still call a timeout though after the Sims play

  4. SOEbuc Says:

    Hahaha Koetter must of read my blog where I told Conte to go live in Lovie’s basement and the two of them could play Madden to figure out the game

  5. SOEbuc Says:

    Jameis should’ve run. He was still looking for receivers for 2-3 seconds after being about 2-3 yards over the line of scrimmage

  6. John Mugabi Says:

    I wonder now if Winston would be traded for Wentz…
    Clearly not straight up. Bucs would probably have to offer a draft pick along with Winston- not sure if 2nd would entice the Eagles. One positive for Tampa- is that those upset with Winston off field stuff at FSU would come back to the fold…Some are Gator fans, others where ethics really matter- a few may be both….I have to admit- I was little upset at the empty seats yesterday for a home opener. Met a guy who was also surprised and mentioned some folks issues with Winston on this site. Never heard of this message board but its cool and look forward to it… So the positive for the Eagles on this trade is pretty good….We know that Winston was graded higher than Wentz at the combine…So perhaps they can turn Winston around and come out with an additional 2nd round pick. Curious question for sure.

  7. Tbbucs3 Says:

    Get that Wentz talk out of here.

    “Bucs would probably have to offer a draft pick along with Winston”

    Lol dude he’s played in 3 games.

  8. iamkingsu Says:

    @soe

    He was buying time trying to hold the defense in the end zone so he can get close enough to take off running. If he would’ve ran from LOS he knew would’ve be stopped and pumbled.

  9. celly Says:

    @John…

    Winston isn’t going anywhere. If you don’t want to root for him, you might as well find another team to be a fan of.

  10. BucsFan90 Says:

    John Mugabi, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent post were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone reading your comment is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

  11. iamkingsu Says:

    I didn’t even watch the game but I immediately came to this site and heard the reactions. When I saw the highlight on NFL Network WTH is they talking about on JBF??

    He didn’t get tackle by someone coming out of the end zone it was from behind so it clearly was working.

  12. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Hell Nah – its not FK’n video game.
    Dudes are tryna knock eachothers block – I’m sure everyone here knows that.
    As fans we just wanna see a better product on the field.
    WE know these youngmen have what takes to win – they just gotta believe that sh!t.
    Hopefully this week – they can stop p#$$y footing around – and beat the dog issh out of Denver.

    DONT SPEAK ON IT – JUST DO IT

  13. Arealbucsfan Says:

    This is a 2nd year QB at the age of only 22 and throwing the ball 50+ times a game. Only the elites do that after many years in the game! The game is still a little fast for Fameis, but once it slows down for him, and it will, this kid is gonna be legen, wait for it….. Dary. And he will always have that gun slinger mentality so the picks will happen. Favre threw a ton and look how he turned out.

  14. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    You know Jameis has to pissed losing to UDFA QB Case Keenum.
    Now Trevor Siemian – is coming to town.
    Ain’t no way in hell – our 1st overall pick, franchise QB.
    Gonna take a “L” in this one.
    #UpsetWeekend

    QB Jameis Winston (1-2)
    • Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1st round (1st overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

    Vs.

    QB Trevor Siemian (3-0)
    • Draft: Denver Broncos in the 7th round (250th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

  15. 813bucboi Says:

    dirk f’ed….he should’ve called timeout first, then got mike into single coverage…the man had 10 catches for over a 100 yards with a td…he’s been our most explosive player….you find a way to get him the ball…no excuses…simple as that….GO BUCS!!!

  16. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    813bucboi

    He tricked that off no doubt.
    But that sack fumble – KILLED our mojo.

  17. Coulditreallybeworse? Says:

    Sorry but no way bucs beat the defending champs.

    Gonna be a long day. Bucs may not score any points.

  18. 813bucboi Says:

    @LUVMYBUCS….no doubt I believe jameis will at the very least and worse case scenario match siemian in production…the problem is the coaching….the broncos have superior coaching….this is the second week in a row we have been out coached and didn’t adjust our game plan….the only adjustment dirk has done in week2 and week3 was to abandon the run game….smitty made no adjustments at all….where’s the safety blitz….cb blitz…lb blitz….34 front?…did you see smitty drop GMC, our best interior dl into coverage, which gave keenum time as he delivered a strike for a first down?….its that kind of coaching that makes me just shake my head…..GO BUCS!!!!

  19. DanTheBucsFan(Atlanta) Says:

    Don’t know why EVERYBODY has already surrendered to the Panthers and mostly to the Broncos! (Talking to all people posting and talking about the Bucs these past couple of weeks) I listen to 620 on iHeart, download all the podcasts and read blogs, etc… not once this season has anyone hinted at the possibility of us beating the (Stinkin’)Panters! When I hear about where the Bucs need to be going into the bye week, it’s like they refuse to consider the possibility of an upset… More so that the Broncos, to boot!

    News flash! They, like our struggling Buccaneers, are also 1-2 on the season and if ATL can go into the StupidDome and embarrass the Saints on their turf, then there’s no reason we can’t do the same to the Panters. Well, unless you take into consideration that the way Cam’s team has been beat is by them forcing him to stay in the pocket with their D…. oh… uhhhh… never mind.

    What was the status on Ayers ankle?

    I also haven’t heard any mention of Stockers injury affecting the running game, last I heard, he was able to block or something.

  20. D-Rome Says:

    Even in Madden 17 I’m using a timeout in that situation.

  21. JD Says:

    This is JD diehard buc fan from Sin City, NV… Too early for panic, although we lost I seen a lot of positive from our team sundaySunday. We competing and this sure as hell aint last years team… We got to steal one of our next two games before the bye week.. The division leading falcons only loss came to us IN Atlanta.. Before we panic my fellow buc Fans remember our whole division loss except the falcons of course… #BUCNATION

  22. SOEbuc Says:

    @ imamkingsu thats true but he has to realize theres guys behind him that are gonna get him eventually (which is what happened) if he’s gonna be baby stepping on the line. He should of thrown it up to someone before he had to run. So just two more lessons learned when your coach doesn’t know how to run the clock

  23. Lord Cornelius Says:

    Just beat the Broncos and all will be right. I’d love that man – especially to see the shock around here in Denver because they probably think this will be an easy win.

    Aguayo was a dumb pick it seems but I’ll take an Aguayo & ASJ if it comes with the other guys we were able to get (3 O-lineman, Winston, Mike Evans, Sims, Kwon, VHIII, Spence). Hopefully he gets his head right but man that pick looks really bad right now. I wanted us to take Von Bell or a WR or something but my wife liked the pick. She now is angry lol

    Hoping the D improves as VHIII & Spence evolve. Verner really sh1t the bed in that game. We need Ayers back too.

    Like Realist said – at least that game came down to the end vs the embarrassment last year. I can’t believe Winston didn’t win it. I think that’s the first unclutch non-winning moment I’ve seen of him since I’ve followed him. But the guy was the only reason we came back again and again late anyway.

    Seems we are killing ourselves with the big plays and / or turnovers.
    Verner beat for easy TD twice.
    Verner giving up huge penalty in key situation.
    Jameis fumble where none of our players see the ball on a drive we were about to take the lead on – goes 77 yards the other way for a TD which was insane.
    Missing 8 points in FGs, XPs, & 2 point conversions.

    Those huge plays are why we lost that game imo. Our D didn’t play that terribly outside of the big play screw ups. We moved the ball better than the Rams all game.

    Kind of opposite of last year where we didn’t give up many big plays but would let QBs march downt he field with slants and short passes.

    Very frustrating way to lose.

  24. Kevin Schmidt Says:

    I have no problem with the head coach, the qb, the playacting. I understand the clock management could have been better, I understand things don’t always work out in the heat of the moment. But it’s obvious that this offense is clicking very well even with a ton of hiccups and mistake being made.

    My problem is with the defense. They are just as bad as they have been for years and no signs of looking better. Points against, completion percentage they are getting sliced and diced and all I hear is “we need better safeties”

    BULL CRAP!!! This system doesn’t work. It slowly got worse for Lovie because teams were figuring it out. He could never find a safety he liked and it made his corners look bad. Same thing is happening now. The one thing that we can all bank on every single Sunday is that no matter who we face, no matter it be home or away, good team bad team, we are going to give up a ton of points.

    Don’t tell me it’s the players. It’s Smith. He needs to get his head out of his ass. Sick of this crap already.

    We are the old/new Tampa Falcons / Atlanta Bucs. We are finally putting up points and our defense couldn’t stop a free rolling baby in a stroller going down the sideline. I hope for Koetters sake he doesn’t stay so loyal to the point he loses his job all for his friendship with Smith. Loyalty and friendship got Lovie canned and I really like Koetter. This sucks…..

  25. 813bucboi Says:

    @kevin..I agree with everything you said except for dirk himself….my problem with him is that he abandons the run too soon…he did it in jax by making David Garrard pass for 50times a game instead of feeding Fred Taylor….he took the ball out of the hands of Michael turner in atl as well forcing a young matt ryan to throw for 40-50times a game….so far jameis has attempted 32 pass week 1 52 in week2 and 58 in week 3….lord help us if we get down 10-0 in the first quarter vs Denver jameis may attempt 60 passes….

    smitty has been exposed….folks claim he was a great dc in jax but he was running jack del rio’s defense…not his….his defense was soft in atl and its soft now….del rio made denvers defense great when they had tebow and now he has turned the raiders defense into a solid unit….he doesn’t know how to create/generate pressure on the qb and that’s what got him canned in atl….your right…if this happens over the next 2games, dirk and licht have a decision to make….GO BUCS!!!!

  26. mojiska Says:

    Come on with this fire smith crap. Just a month ago everyone was worried he would turn the d around and bolt for another head coaching gig next year. The positive side is that we are getting less penalties than last year. Another positive is that Aside from 2 long plays the d played well. Honestly we tied the turnover battle, won the yardage and the time of possesion battle, scored just as many td’s as them. Key killers were the missed kicks, 2-5 on pat’s (1 missed kick, 2 failed conversions) and a missed fg. Thats 6 points, on top of the final drive that could have ended with more points. So better game management and better kicking and that is a whole different game, even with the uglyness. We won that game, but unfortunately the scoreboard doesn’t show it.

  27. Rod Munch Says:

    Did you guys see the dope Drew Brees last night, with the game on the line, on their last drive of the game, on 4th and 22 he tries to RUN the ball!?!? What a dope! How clueless do you have to be not to make the first down, how low is your IQ that you have no concept of what you’re supposed to do there? 4th and 22, everything on the line, and Brees RUNS the ball. WOW. Cut him, he’s terrible, he’s a bust of a player, he doesn’t have the intellitect to make it in the NFL. Worst play I’ve ever seen in my life by anyone ever, just an embarrassment.

  28. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    Look, Dirk messed up. We all know it. He knows it. He’s said it. What more do you want? Like every coach in the NFL, he’s not perfect. Everyone wants to continue to point to that last drive, but I’d like to point to a lot of the other mistakes we made. How about us making Keenum look like Tom Brady? We should have never been in that situation in the first place, so we really deserved to lose. I’m not upset with Koetter, because mistakes are going to be made, and unlike Lovie he actually admitted his mistake and took the blame. It’s over, time to move on. I said it all offseason that this wasn’t going to be the Super Bowl season that a lot of you projected. We are still learning how to win, and to play consistent. You guys set yourself up for this by foolishly thinking we were going to be some great team. Now that it’s clear we’re not, you want to get rid of everyone, including a freaking MORON talking about trading Winston for Wentz! The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me.

  29. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    @Rod Munch,

    Great post! He also had a couple bad throws in the last drive, including one where he threw well behind Cooks. People think QB’s are all perfect, except the one we have.

  30. DanTheBucsFan(Atlanta) Says:

    @Rod (not to be mistaken for A. Rod.)
    Honestly, I can’t understand why Brees ever even thought he could get a gig in the NFL… If I were his dog, I’d run away.

  31. Mike Johnson Says:

    Tom E…Have you seen Denver’s Defense? They are good. And a tad better than LA. Don’t kid yourself. There will be injuries. Denver plays Physical in your face ball. Its gonna take our Best effort plus a little more to beat them. I truly do not see it. Even if we come close…no cigar.

  32. GhostofTedford Says:

    SOBERING FACT….Our offense has scored 70 points. Our defense has allowed 101 points.

    We score an average of 23 points per game

    We give up 33 points a game.

    Hello Dirk and Mike?????

  33. Rod Munch Says:

    DanTheBucsFan – If you were Drew Brees’ dog I’d say the simple fact you could read my post means your IQ is higher than his, I mean anyone on 4th and 22 that couldn’t get a first down with everything on the line, that decided to run the ball (RUN THE BALL!?!?!!), I mean he has to be the worst QB in the history of the world and his IQ must be in the low single digits, I mean come on. I mean come on. Worst play I’ve ever seen ever and if they haven’t cut him already it means the GM, the ownership, everyone should be fired. Brees is a bust, he’s proved it, he’s the worst ever, the NFL should just dissolve the team. By Brees just being in New Orleans he drops the IQ of the entire city by 43 points, he’s that dumb it brings down the entire population that much. What a disgrace. If you’re his dog you should happily go find some radiator fluid to drink and just check out of life, your owner is so awful he’s brought shame on our nation as a whole.

  34. cmurda Says:

    All I know is I expect a full out effort this week against the undefeated Broncos. An effort that pales in comparison to the previous 2 weeks, particularly on defense. Beating the Broncos at hom would make the previous 2 losses much more palatable. Aguayo needs to stop being a vag and kick the frigging thing straight through the middle, the defense needs to stop giving up huge plays and the offense needs to take better care of the football, Sims needs to catch the frigging ball, JW needs to be smart about his passes instead of setting up his receiver to be thrashed 2 yards from the line of scrimmage, the D Line needs to get some darn pressure. These are all aspects of the game that can be corrected and improved. I’m hoping we do because I’m over these sorry seasons we have been putting together the last 10 years.

  35. Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Says:

    If the Rams can do this to us at home, imagine what Denver can do to us, especially with no running game to fear. If they make us one dimensional, then look out Tampa. It will not be very pretty. Sims does not impress me as a between the tackles runner. He goes down far too easy compared to Martin. Rogers would be a better choice against Denver, IMHO.
    Rogers is a bruising inside runner, and can wear a defense down, exactly what we need against Denver. It is all about ball control, and if we fail to control the ball against Denver, they will control us, and win the game.

  36. DanTheBucsFan(Atlanta) Says:

    @Rod
    Holy S(p)it! I think I lost some IQ’s myself because I was cheering for him and his group of rowdy apotheosized people! Bloody heck!!! What should I do?!

  37. BENBUCSFAN Says:

    @Rod There wasnt any recievers opens cause the rams only rushed 3 or 4 and all the rest if the defense was in the endzone so who’s is the one with low IQ